Nigeria coach head coach opens up on failed pursuit of Michael Olise

Bayern Munich’s phenom Michael Olise has just finished an astounding season, surprising everyone with his level, and even being considered by many as a legit Ballon d’Or contender. With France being one of the top contenders for the championship, the Frenchman will be one of the players to keep an eye on during the upcoming FIFA World Cup. However, the kit Olise will be wearing during the summer could have been a different one entirely.

Former Nigeria coach and former Bayern player Gernot Rohr recently discussed how he tried to convince Olise to join the Nigerian national team a few years back (Brilafm889 via @iMiaSanMia). “In 2019, I saw Olise and I had a look at him with my assistant. We went to watch a match and we tried to invite him but he did not want to join us at the time,” declared Rohr.

At the time, Olise was eligible to play for five teams: England (where he was born), France (his mother’s nationality), Nigeria (his father’s roots), Algeria and Haiti (due to his mother’s roots). Having had that many options, especially two European powerhouses, surely did not help Nigeria’s chances. “Because I think he already knew he can have a big future in a European team and can play for several countries of course. Six or seven years ago when we saw him, he was already so strong. Unfortunately he refused to play for Nigeria,” lamented Rohr.

Today, Olise is set to become a big name in the summer’s major tournament, while Nigeria has been left wondering what it could have been had Olise’s decision been different back in 2019.

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